2017 Brussels - New Music Hifi Show
 

Yesterday was fun!
Not only I could enjoy and experience a lot of nice toys, I could do it in the most agreeable company of a fellow AA member, Jacques, aka Jem666.
We had already met before, a couple of times with our spouses.
My wife and loyal photographer is following an intense course, and couldn't attend.

What was really pleasant and a bit surprising: our top 3 of the systems was exactly the same!
The show was not the biggest, but there were a couple of very good systems.
No uberexpensive set-ups this year, only a few in the 150-300K range.
A lot of budget solutions, and some were sounding really good.

I'm not trying to be complete.
In some rooms, we just walked in and out.

Here we go.

Naim and Neat

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5205.jpg


Nah...
I think the potential of the Naim all-in-ones is very good, I've heard them before, but this combo didn't do it for us.

B&W 700 series + Rotel

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5208.jpg


I'd say: decent.
Quite good highs and mids.
These speakers can bear better electronics though.
The bass sounded a bit boxy.
The enclosure is much more hearable than in the 800 series.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5206.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5207.jpg

Large room with some large speakers with bad cross-overs:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5209.jpg


Jacques said: the sound of the live concerts in the 80s.
Bass, mids, highs: it was all disconnected.

Driven by van den Hul, with some hocus pocus on top:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5210.jpg


Von Schweikert:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5211.jpg


More van den Hul components:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5212.jpg


Nice to see a Teac tape machine in good condition:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5213.jpg


This was not one of the good rooms.
I entered it another time, and my impression was the same.

Marc Levinson & Wilson Audio

The Wilson Audio rooms left a good impression on me last years.
2 years ago the Sabrina, last year the Yvette.
Both were here, but only on static display.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5214.jpg


The model that played this year was the Alexia.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5215.jpg

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but you can only admire the impeccable build quality of the Alexia.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5216.jpg


The electronics weren't too shabby either:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5217.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5218.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5221.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5222.jpg

You can see that the prices for American gear here in Europe are not comparable to the ones you pay over the pond.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5220.jpg


Truly grand sound.
This was a great system.
But I said: "I find it a bit cold, I'm not really moved".
Jacques: "Hmm, I guess I could live with this system".
My answer: "Yes, but... wait till you hear the YGs..."

But we both felt this room would end up in the top 5, maybe even 3.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5219.jpg

Next room: Dali

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5224.jpg


3500€ for a pair of speakers with amplification and DAC on board.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5223.jpg


The Hub costs 549€.
For an additional 499€, you can integrate a BluOS module which gives you MQA.

In our Top 5 of budget solutions.
This set-up was playing decent music.

The World of McIntosh room

This nice turntable was sending its music, via Audio Research, to the new Homage Guarneris.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5225.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5226.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5227.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5229.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5230.jpg


It was sounding a bit dull and flat.
Come on, I've heard much better demos of Sonus Faber and Audio Research!
Something was not properly set up I think.

Sonus Faber speakers remain beauties.
Real eye candy.

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5231.jpg

Cabling in that room: Audioquest

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5238.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5239.jpg

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5237.jpg

There were also models of an obscure US brand on static display:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5232.jpg


:D

On the other side of the room: the Sonus Faber Serafino:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5233.jpg


This little fellow played in more than one room:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5234.jpg


If I can make an estimated guess, I think this is the first Brussels Hifi Show where dematerialised music won from CDs and LPs.
Servers and Tidal: ubiquitous.


Powering the Serafino:

http://www.metazahren.com/photograph...e/IMG_5235.jpg